Reversible summer-winter cover for beehives



June 3, 1952 M. l. TAYLOR REVERSIBLE SUMMER-WINTER COVER FOR BEEHIVES FHI.

Filed Dec. 27, 1948 0. M m Y 6 Tl w. N U/ R a wk o n 2 N 0i. H T i A w. M 7 n 2 r Patented June 3, 1952 j 'UNITED' .STATES 'REvERsmpE SMMERFWINTER COVER Foa -z lnnnrvns n f M'errittr.' Taylor', Richmond, va..

vapplicatie.lnecimumr 21,1948,serialisiasaass-l j .cciaims. cis-"1) comeso immobilevthat the bees thereincannot getfresh stores Vof honey and,` as a result, may starve. Furthermore, I have found that colonies of,I bees `are V.seriously affected by lthe condensation andfcollection of moisturewithin the hive during the winterseason resultingin ajmoldy damp and unhealthy condition therein'.` The Y cluster is continuouslygiving off heat and water vapor asa/'result of natural metabolism of the bees. Under certainv conditions of relative humidity and temperature, aswhere the .outside relative humidity is fairly high and thetemperature is low, the moist warm air rising from the cluster is lowered .belowthe dew point as it comes in contact with the cold walls of the hive. As a result, moisture vcollects on the walls and under sidefoffthe topandlhen, drops down uponthe combs, -creating' the aforesaid? .unhealthy conditiofn within the hive;n f i :it ivsftlierefre Va principal purpose of vmy iriventih to provide a cover Afor afbeehive which will" operate in a Vnatural and yscientific way `to reduce condensation within the hive, to keep the hive relatively cool in summer and to raise the sired, and lwhich has ya dual actionI of fheatfreflection and insulation during the hotseason.V jv f v Other objects and advantages'will become apparent after a study ofthe following description in connection with the drawingf wherein; in.- the drawing?` K. V:Figure 1 .is a single beehive thereto. f- Figure 2 is adevelopment of thecover` shown perspective view. of a i standard having my invention -applied vvat Figure 1, one corner beingy turned down to 'show the black or light-absorbing side.- I

. Figure 3 is'a cross-section ofv a portionof the model of Figures 1 and 2, taken ina planerinditemperature therein particularly the surface 'f temperatures during cold days in winter, to level 0E extremes of heat and cold within the hive and thus create better conditions facilitating the work and improving the health of the colony, and enabling the cluster to move to fresh stores y during the winter season.

More specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide a reversible cover of flexible matef rial white on one side and black upon the other side whereby radiant heat waves from the sun are reflected away from the hive in summer when the white side is outermost, but absorbed into the hive during clear days in winter when the black side is outermost.

cated bythe line 3-3 ofFigure 2. y e. L 'Figure 4 is a perspective view ofthe ends of-a modiiication usingsnapfasteners. 1,;:1 Figure 5 is an enlarged'cross section taken in a plane indicatedby the line 5 5 of vFigure 4, e.

i :Figure 11i-isa perspective view Qf ihends 0ia second'modiication using a zipper fastener. Y

Figure 7.V is aview of av third modiiication using bendable metallic clasps, e Y Y i Figure 8 is a planyiew k.ofthe modiiiationnof Figure.. '1- showinathe clasps interengagedparld aboutto be bent intojinal position, and.r i

Figure ,9, is a sectionalk detail taken -uponfthe lineS-SofFigure 1. f ,j. Referring in detail to the drawing,H.identiiies a standard. single, rectangular ,hive with my, inventianzapplied thereto. i: AS Shown .the I. cover; consists of a single sheet or strip I 0 of -lightgauge metal ory any other suitable material shaped Vto wrap about the hive and having a width of about thefsame dimension as Y the height .o fv the hive. The Ytwo meeting edgesof the strip. are provided with-grommets 1I I through whficha lacing` I2- may be passed to bind the cover rmlyaboutthe hive. As. shown, ,the cover .has its Summen orl'lightreflecting surface. I3 outermo st.-.r .Y l-

FromvFigure 2 it will be, noted` lthat-the other side I4 of sheet I0 is black so as to absorb rays from the sun. Figure 3 shows a cross section through a portion of the sheet; and it will there y be noted that while the white or ray-reilecting side I3 is smooth and preferably glossy, the black or ray-absorbing side I4 is cellular or pitted as for example, sponge rubber. This cellular surface performs two functions. First, when it is outermost during the winter months, it acts to increase the ray-absorbing surface and to catch the rays as coming from a wide range of angles A further object is to provide a hive cover of the type' aforesaid which is durable, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to apply and reverse as deof incidence. Secondly, when the dark side is next to the hive during summer months, the cellular structure, in conjunction with the hive walls, forms small dead-air pockets or cells which increase the eiectiveness of the covering in resisting the entrance of heat into the hive.

In Figure 4, I have shown a species in which the ends I5 and I6 of a strip, which has the same surface characteristics as the one shown upon Figures 1, 2 and 3, are secured in over-lapping relation by a series of aligned snap fasteners.`

Thus, fore'xampleflthe'end I6 ;may'l'ave `a series of metalieyelets l1, while end f5 has'asimilarly-V spaced series of snap fasteners I8. In Figure 5 Y .of said strip to secure the same in position about I have shown each snap fastener as double, Vwith Y' a resilient extension from bothsides of ztlre :'sheet; W

material.

either side outermost.,

Figure 6 shows a modification using y-a-double zipper or slidable fastener 2| and slide 22, to

secure ends I9 and 20 in meetingV relation and:

outermosuf b'yfa pair "of bendable metallichooksl or clasps f25 'and' Thus'lhok F25 `:may b'e :attached to the end 23 byY rivets 21, Whilehobk'm mayibeattached tofen'dd by frivetsin. When it is "desired Ito secure ithe cover :about :a h'ive, the stripis Wrapped thereabout, and the ends :interengagedas -shownfin :Figure L8, fand bent down Lto makefarmunionfbetweenthe two ends.

I have thusprovi'dedfareversiblefdualpurpose cover 'formeihives which fisfo''futili'ty the year around. "In'the summer, the smooth Whitersurface is outermost =an`d "-reiee'ts asubs'tantial'lp'ercentage' lof they suns @rays incident vthereon to thereby prevent v'excessive temperatures Within the alii-ve. At fthe same -tima'lthe' numerous fair cells' formed 4iietvve'en fthe 'dark cellular surface and the ihive iWalls, idfin `preventing ''theentrance of' heat by fcondu'c'tion lintoA the be'ehi-ve. In' the Winter, 1tl'feblack cellular surface isfoutermost and effectively absorb'sitliesunsrays lirici-.- dent ithereo'n to *thereby raise fthe temperature '-withinthehivefandfassist in-maintaining theV interior thereof in'faidryfhelthful 'condition and to jenallefthefcluster-tomoveitolfrehstores off'honey Y 'uiere'fore-tpverand acuut the "hive and-thansbe easily removediandfeplaoed as vdes'iredto form' In this manner, the cover may lber easily and quickly secured about the hive withl -the side Walls of the hive.

adapted to extend over and about the side Walls of Vthehivesaid cover comprising a strip of exible vberidable material and having alight ray-reectingrsurfacecovering the outside thereof and a darlmay-absorbing surface covering the inside thereof, said cover being reversible to place said dark ray-absorbing surface outermost, when desired, and iin'eanvs-*carriedbyfthe endfedges of said stripy of Y flexible 'rnaterialitol'connect-ithe ,same to- '3. A cover for a liee'hive'as frecited'in cmi-mi2. saidA last-named {means l'crornprisingajilurality of grommets spaced ialongfe'ac'h'-end 'ofsaid-strip.' f4. fAfcover 'fora *beehivea's recited in claim 2, said last-named means -comprising snap `fastener'svsecured 'along each endfedgejo'fsaid str ipa'id snap ifasteners interengaginjgtofy secure 'said zstrip aboutthehive.A 'l 's j *f l '5. A cover for'a 'fbeeiiive *as reoited'fin'claim 2, said iastenamed-'means lcomprising afslidable'ffasf tener having 'its interengaging-flements secure'd to and alongrespective"endiedges'ofisaid'stripr "6.' A' cover .foi-"a beeh'ive asfrecited'in claim i2. said lastenamedmeans nomprising'ajrt Ileast *a pair of zinterengagnig 'jhoks of jbendajble'sheetfmetai, each l'hook *beingsecured to a `respect ive end-*of saidstep. i

j i Y l VMERnrI-r i1. Tarifen.

y Y REFERENOES fol-TED The .following referencesare .o'f .record .in the me amusement: Y t

UNITED STATES 'SPATENTS 

